Cricket betting: formats and settlement rules
Cricket is one of the biggest betting markets in the world, so it often appears on a bookmaker's list. If you want to bet on it, start with the formats: they change both match length and settlement rules.
Formats
- Test — up to five days; a draw is possible.
- ODI — a one-day match with a limited number of overs.
- T20 — the shortest format, about three hours.
Main markets
- Match winner — with a draw option in Tests.
- Top batter — who scores the most runs for a team.
- Total runs — over or under a line.
- Toss winner — who wins the coin toss.
Terms
Cricket markets use terms other sports do not: an over is a set of six deliveries, a wicket is a batter being dismissed, a run is a point scored. If a market's name is unclear, skip it until you have read its definition in the bookmaker's rules.
Rain and shortened matches
Weather often affects cricket. In limited-overs matches, a shortened game may be decided by a special calculation method. Whether a bet is settled or voided then depends on the bookmaker's rules — read the cricket section before betting.
Less knowledge, smaller stakes
If you know little about cricket, bets rest more on guesses than knowledge. That is allowed, but it is a reason to stake less. Start with simple markets and small amounts, and favour major tournaments with clear markets over small events with fewer markets and higher margins.
Time zones
Many matches are played in Asia or Australia and may start at night or early morning in your time zone. If you bet before going to bed, check the start time on the slip so settlement or changes do not catch you out.
Winnings and withdrawals
In Tests, settlement may come only after day five; if the bet is in an accumulator, the whole slip waits. Once credited, the win can be withdrawn like any balance — Withdrawals and statuses.